Philadelphia Phillies' Newest Addition Bolsters Rotation Through Injury

It has been a challenging stretch for the Philadelphia Phillies, who have seen themselves drop in the National League East standings.

Coming into the year, the Phillies were once again predicted to be one of the top teams in the league. For the most part, the core of a team that has been very successful over the last several campaigns is still intact, and Philadelphia once again will be trying to win the World Series.

However, even though the team is very good, it isn’t perfect. This offseason, the team made a couple of notable additions to help improve, but some moves have been better than others.

Currently, both the bullpen and the outfield continue to be issues. Fortunately, their addition to the starting rotation has been an excellent one so far.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently wrote about one reason for the Phillies to be excited is the performance of Jesus Luzardo so far this season.

“The Phillies have been able to overcome Ranger Suárez beginning the season on the injured list and Aaron Nola getting lit up early in the campaign, in large part because of Jesús Luzardo's tremendous first impression," he wrote.

The performance of Luzardo this year has been nothing short of fantastic for Philadelphia.

This winter, the team was in need of adding a fifth starter to replace Taijuan Walker, who struggled in 2024. The addition of Luzardo certainly checked that box, with the southpaw being much better than just a fifth starter.

So far this year, it’s been good that they were able to add a pitcher of his caliber. To begin the campaign, Ranger Suarez has been on the injured list and Aaron Nola has been mostly ineffective.

The performance of Luzardo has helped keep the team afloat early on with some injuries and struggles in the rotation.

For the Phillies, with some weaknesses in both the bullpen and the lineup, this is going to be a team that relies heavily on their rotation throughout the season.

Luzardo might have been brought in to be a fifth starter, but he is emerging into much more than that. So far this year, he has totaled a 3-0 record, 1.73 ERA, and 41 strikeouts in six starts. The left-hander not only has some of the best stats on the Phillies, but in the entire league so far.

In a rotation that features multiple All-Stars and the runner-up in the NL Cy Young last campaign, it has been the southpaw who has been the best through the first month.

Now, while he’s having a great year, one of the most significant pluses is that he is under team control for next season as well, making him a potential key piece moving forward.